Review: Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)

It's Shagadelic Baby, Yeah! That's how I feel about this hilarious film which defines the 5 S-words. It's a Sublimely Silly Sixties Spy Spoof. Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery is the full title of this weird mix of James Bond, Waynes World and The Brady Bunch.

It is supposedly Canadian star Mike Myers' brain child. Myers who spent years on Saturday Night Live, created one of the most well known SNL personalities... Wayne Cambell. His Waynes World sketches were so popular they developed into a feature film, Waynes World. The film was a hit and paved the way for other SNL movies like The Coneheads and It's Pat as well as a hit sequel Waynes World 2.

Austin Powers is Mikes 4th film. After WW2 (Waynes World 2) he starred in So I Married An Axe Murderer which was a dud. This is without a doubt his best film. Austin Powers is a great character, one SNL might have made if they'd had the budget for the costumes and the sets.

This is one bright movie. The costumes seem like they were made for laughs but in truth they are replicas of the costumes from Blow-Up.

Austin Powers (Mike Myers) was, in the 60's, Britain's top spy. He was also Britain's top sex hero. Although he had clunky glasses and horrendous teeth, the girls wanted him and the men wanted to be him. He loved to shag with strangers, while using mind altering drugs without protection. He say's groovy and fab, and Oh Behave! He is the essence of the British 60's.

His nemesis Dr. Evil (also played by Mike Myers) is a bald headed supervillian. He strokes his cat, and presses buttons that open trap doors sending victims to their doom. Dr. Evil decides to freeze himself for 30 years in a orbiting Big Boy to return in the 90's, when Austin Powers will be too old to thwart his plans.

However Austin agrees to freeze himself too, so the world will be ready for Dr. Evil's return. When Evil returns to earth, Austin is also thawed out but he's still living in the sixties. His clothes and speech are still the same, as well as his need to shag (Britain's 60's version of Fuxk). He is teamed up with a feminist female spy (Elizabeth Hurley) who does not find him charming at all.

Meanwhile Dr. Evil is having a tough time fitting in with the 90's terrorists. When he demands the United Nations give him One MILLION Dollars, they laugh in his face.

One of the best characters is the Pussy Galore update Allota Fagina.

Many of the jokes come from the culture clash and the fact that Austin has missed all the important events that happened in the last 30 years (Austin Exclaims "I cant believe Liberachi was gay, didn't see that one coming"), but this is not simply a fish out of water movie. It is a tribute to the 60's, a time of experimentation with sex and drugs. It's also sometimes a sight gag feast. The best scenes are when the stars are frolicking nude, their privates always covered by wonderfully choreographed items.

Austin Powers is a very funny romp and we can all hope for a sequel.

4 and 1/2 out of a possible 5.